The Kids Are Alright

You might remember I mentioned how Chloe sometimes whines, but in a benign, "just kidding" way. Well, she has really escalated that behavior, despite the fact that she isn't using the whine to get her way. She just likes the annoying sound of her own whiny voice!

But when she isn't whining, her voice (and what she uses it to say) is delightful! It has a sing-song quality to it that compels everyone else to imitate it immediately after hearing her speak. I'm sure that drives her nuts, but it's just so cute and fun to repeat!

She starts most sentences by stuttering a little as her voice rises until she finally hits the high note and delivers the meat of the word.
"YuyuyooooooooUUUUUUUUUUU gonna get me some milk Mommy?"
You really must hear it in person.

Other funny recent quotes:
Connor was worried about something that might be too scary, so Chloe reached over to rub his back and coo, "It won't be too scary, Connor. Don't be scared."

She looked at a bottle of Pillar Box Red and said, "That wine is from Target!"

At dinner the day I got my hair done, she said, "YuyuyoooouuUUU don't wanna eat dinner with that HAIR!"



Connor has come back from vacation a new man. He has totally relaxed and is not nearly as moody as he was. I hope the vacation hangover lasts for a good long while!

He told his dad that he wants to be just like him someday, and that he wants to be a lawyer too. It was so sweet! Knowing Connor also idolizes soon-to-be-Uncle Chris, Chip said, "You know Chris wants be a lawyer too!" and Connor, ever on the ball, said, "Who?"

Connor is starting to really struggle with wearing a uniform every day. He has started to sneak another shirt under his uniform shirt, so that he has the option of individuality when he gets to after-school care. This is okay, unless he tries to put a patterned shirt under a white uniform shirt. I'm trying to buy him interesting socks so that he can make at least one sartorial decision for himself each day.

We just read our first chapter book together (the first Captain Underpants book), and it was a big hit. We spread it out over a few nights, and he looked forward to it each day. This age is so weird for books- we have the simple books that Connor can read himself, but those books don't really have a story since they are focused on short words that repeat on each page. But he is ready to follow a more involved story, so the books we read to him are longer and more complicated. I can't wait until those sides meet in the middle! In any case, add "first chapter book" to the list of exciting firsts the baby books don't tell you to look out for (along with "wipes own ass semi-successfully" and "vomits in the toilet not on the floor").